The Sky Is The Limit! Alaska Airlines Says Goodbye To Plastic Stir Straws

Airlines are taking the first steps at reducing their plastic footprint for a strawless ocean.

Alaska Airlines passengers will soon notice something different when they order in-flight cocktails or coffees.

No, the airline’s not changing a crucial ingredient. But those plastic stirring sticks? They’re about to go the way of paper tickets and empty middle seats.

Alaska Airlines will phase out plastic stirring sticks in favor of compostable versions made of white birch. Citrus picks will switch from plastic to bamboo.

It’s all in the name of the environment, swapping out the singe-use plastic sticks for a more sustainable option. The changes begin July 16, when Alaska starts phasing out the plastic items from its flights and frequent-flier lounges.

Though some global airlines have pledged to gradually reduce the use of such items, Alaska Airlines says its move will make it the first in the U.S. to eliminate them altogether.

“Plastic is a serious issue for our planet. What’s important is continuing to move the global supply chain toward making sustainable materials accessible and affordable,” Shaunta Hyde, Alaska Airlines’ managing director – community relations, says in a statement to USA TODAY’s Today in the Sky blog.